Justin Chon Unleashes his Turbo Warrior Spirit

If you’re into the Twilight Saga, you’ll recognize the name Justin Chon from the uber film franchise. This up and coming Korean-American actor has recently lent his talents to a project set in the distant future of flying cars and super duper high tech gadgets. Directed by Jarrett Lee Conway, Turbo is a 20 minute short packed with all the elements needed for a “martial arts” film.

You’ve got your
Hero, the Bad Boy, & the Girl:
Hugo Park (Justin Chon) is your average troubled kid who spends all his time playing Super Turbo Arena, a 4D fighting videogame with a really advanced DDR  and  Wii-like contraption. When added with a pair  of sunglasses it makes for an interesting gaming system. Strapped on cash, Hugo decides to bet what rent money he has at the local Pandemonium arcade. There he encounters Ruse Kapri (Alice Hunter), a girl he had fought online and Shamus Bryce (David Lehre), the arrogant gamer who will do anything and everything to get to the top. Hugo loses a game and his money to Shamus  and must figure out a way to earn it back. With financial backing from Ruse, Hugo enters a Super Turbo Arena 2 competition held by Pharaoh King (Jocko Sims). It will not only earn him fifty grand, but also a one year contract with Team Overkill, the best gamers in the world of cyber-sports. Down on his luck, Hugo’s in need of some serious help if he’s going to win.

enter Mr. Miyagi :
Of course I’m referencing the cult classic Karate Kid, in which you have the ever loyal mentor that teaches you the ways of avoiding getting your booty handed to you. In this case  Miyagi sensei is, Tobias Park (Ilram Choi), Hugo’s older brother and a former fighter who was paralyzed during a kick-boxing match. Originally against Hugo’s gaming addiction, Tobias has a change of heart when he finds out that Hugo created a game avatar in his likeness and was putting effort into earning money to fix his back. Tobias ends up offering wisdom and a few trade secrets such as his “ricochet” move  that will prove to be Hugo’s secret weapon in. . .

the Final Battle:
In a just short of epic finale, reminiscent of Streetfighter, Hugo faces Shamus in the final round of competition. Shamus brings on the shame as he cheats to try to claim the top spot. We all know what happens next. The hero almost fails but springs right back up after  flashbacks of inspiration give him the strength to whoop the bad boy into oblivion.

It all feels like a re-make of a re-make and technically I don’t think I’ve spoiled the movie for any of you because it’s outright predictable.  However, Conway does a good job of story-telling in a short amount of time and all on a limited budget. The special effects are borderline impressive laced with cheesiness, that actually works well for the film. I also admire Justin in the lead role because it gives a different perspective on his range of characters. Although giving an Asian the main role in a martial arts movie can be considered type-casting, the fact that this character doesn’t at first suit the lanky Justin makes it more intriguing to watch. So if you’ve got time to spare, watch a non-vampire member of Twilight finally have his moment on this free and made available online film.